Process of preparing fibrous materials for the manufacture of paper.



g G. D. BURTON. PROGESS 0P PREPARING FIBROUS MATERIALS FOR THEMANUFACTURE OF PAPER.

APPLICATION FILED OOT.'9, 1906.

@982, 1 '70. Patented Jam 17, 1911.

which the following is a desired. the upper end of the tank 11 and theends UNYFED STATES PATENT ()FFTCE.

GEORGE D. B URTCPN, OF BOSTON, MA$SACHUSETTS.

i t PROCESS OF PREPARING FIBROU$ MATERIALS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF PAPER.

. I V I use, no.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 17, 1911.

Application filed October 9. 1906. Serial No. 338,124.

To all whom it may concern; Be it known that I, Gnonon D. BURTON, acitizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Boston, inthe county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have illrented certainnew and useful Improvements in Processes of Preparing Fibrous Materialsfor the Manufacture of Paper, of

specification.

This invention relates to methods of treating hemp, flax orsimilanmaterials to cause them to, be placed in condition to be utilizedin the manufacture of paper and for other similar purposes.

The operation consists in providing in a suitable ta nk, rat, or otherreceptacle, a bath of water to which suiiicient sodium carbon ate isadded, thus forming a solution capable 'of producing electrolytic gasesinto which may be immersed the hemp, flax or other material which it isdesired to cleanse and dcgrease.

In the operation of the invention a tank or vat is used similar to thatshownin the drawings, forming part of this application, of which Figure1 represents a plan View. Fig. 2 represents a longitudinal sectionthereof on line 22 onl ig. 1, and Fig. 3 represents a section on line.on Fig. 2 looking in the direction; of the arrow.

Similar characters designate like parts throughout the several figuresof the draw ings.

In the drawings, 11 represents a tank or vat of any ordinaryconstruction provided with an inlet pipe 12 for supplying water theretoand a faucet or cock 13 for withdrawing the solution from said tank whenA bent aluminum rod 14 crosses 15 thereof are supported by the sides ofsaid tank while the main crossmeinber 16 thereof depends lnto said tankand extends from side to side thereof. This cross member is usuallyconstructed of aluminum or some other similar light conducting metal. Secured to this cross member 16 and extending nearly to the bottom ofsaiillank is a thin metallic plate 17 forming a suitable electrode. Themember 14 is provided with a conducting Wire 18 secured thereto by meansof set screws'lS). At the opposite end of said tank is a similarelectrode. A current of electricity from any suitable source is causedto pass from one electrode to the other through the bath containedwithin said tank. This bath consists of water which is kept at a levelabove the upper ends of the electrodes 17 the supply. being obtaincdthrough the inletpipe 12. To this bath is added a suiiicient quantity.of chemicals or chemical salts such as sodium carbonate or a weaksolution ofsulfuric acid to produce a suitable working solution.

'hen it is desired to secure a more rapid,

action the gravity of the bathis increased to about 1.015 or 1.020, moreor less, by the addition of a quantity of chlorid of sodium in theproportion of about. one partclilorid of sodium to two parts sodiumcarbonate or' the addition of such acids as sulfuric or oxalic acid.tion contained within the tank isthen raised either by steann. gas,electricity, or other The temperature of the sohe suitable means ofheating to about 803Falirenheit, more or less.

half to two inches long and is then placed in the solution. \Vhen flaxis used it may.

be either cut up or operated u1 )on in'anv suitable condition;

When a emu-rent of electricity is permitted to pass through the solutionfrom one electrode'li' to the otherit The i'naterials which it i isdesired to degrease and cleanse "are first. taken and boiled by steam orelectricity tor from thirty to fifty minutes, more or less,

in a solution of sulfuric acid va-rying'from two and one-l alf to eightper cent. according to the amount and the nature of the materials beingoperated upon. It is obvious that the larger the fiberof'thc mates rialthe more acid will be" needed. Such material after treatment rendersthe-paper made from the same stronger and whiter and very much softer.After having been acted upon in this manner the material. is thenimmersed in the bath conta ned within the receptacle 1] and subjected tothe action of the current of electricity passing through the same. Thisaction will causethe dirt,

grease, tar, etc. contained in the hemp and flax to be removed therefromto be deposited upon the electrodes depending in said receptacle. -Thematerial after having been subjected to these 'treatn'ients isthoroughly cleansed and in a condition 'for. use iir-t'he manufacture ofpaper. and as it has been freed .from all impurities and foreignsubstances a higher grade of paper, or paper stock may be. manufacturedtherefrom than would otherwise be the case. i

A. direct current, of eleetrirty is usually employed which may beobtained from any suitable source varying; from seventy-five to firehundred. 'VOltS and from five amperes to five hundred amperes accordingto the size 01 the receptacle used and. the quantity of material tobetreated. in Warm climates and on days when the heat extreme thetemperature of. the solution will be suliicieut without the necessity ofheating by artificial means.

l't is heliered that from the foregoing the operation of the im'ention\riil he thor oughly underr tood without any iurdier deseription.

Claims.

1. The procesi. of treatinghemp. flax or sin'iilar materials. whichconsists; in immersingz said materials in a bath. adding to said hath aaolution of about one part chiorid of sodium to about two parts sodacarbonate, heating the solution, and then passing; through said bath a(.Hlttlll'. of electricity While said material is immersed therein.

7 '2. The process of treating hemp, fiat; or similar materials, whichconsists in immersing said materials in a bath, adding to Said bath asolution oi about. one part chlorid of sodium lo about two parts soda.carl'ionate, and thru pa iug through said both a current of electricitWhile said material is @111 mersed therein.

o. The process of treating hemp, liar: and

similar materials, which consists in boiling said materials in asolution of sulfuric acid, then in'uuersing the same in a bathcontaining soda carbonate, and then passing through said bath a currentof electricity While said materials are immeraed therein.

l. The process of treating hemp, flax and similar materials. whichconsist in boiling said materials in a solution of sulfuric acid v then.immersing it in a bath containing ahout one part chlorid of sodium andtwo parts soda carbonate, and then piasing through said bath a currentof electrarity while said YllAi'QlldlSdll'Q immeraed therein.

The process oi preparing hemp. flak and similar materials for thermuurfiu-ture which consists in GEO. D. BURTON.

\ i'itnesses r War/rail Jr. Lorzeann,

lflnrm C. CLEVELAND.

